Saturday, November 12, 2011

This interview with Aslan İsmayılov is from the opposition newspaper Azadlıq. It was published last month and contains some very provocative opinions on the state of Azerbaijani society following the suppression of peaceful protests on April 2 earlier this year and the harsh prison sentences passed down on participants. I will publish the second half of the interview as soon as possible. As always, portions highlighted in blue are uncertain.

Aslan Ismayilov: “Urgency must be brought to the extraordinary parliamentary elections”

“They know very well that it is possible to preserve the regime with these kind of violent methods. They don’t realize that, on the contrary, they are taking the regime to the brink with this path.”

On October 6, a serious health problem emerged for the noted lawyer, Aslan Ismayilov. The lawyer was taken in critical condition to the Central Clinical Hospital and was immediately placed in the intensive care unit. It was clear that the critical deterioration of Aslan Ismayilov’s health was due to high blood pressure and heart pains. Because of this we began the interview with questions about his health.

The Azerbaijani regime fears the youth

- Mr. Ismayilov, last week you had serious health problems. How are you now?

- Thank God, my health is back to normal. I’m also a human being, I can get sick. But I haven’t given any announcement about this. Some people saw me when I was being taken to the hospital by the emergency medical service and this information got out.

- The court proceedings for the people arrested at the April 2 Public Chamber action have concluded. How do you assess the sentences given for both the youth and the functionaries?

- I have followed these court proceedings not only through the media, I have personally participated in the proceedings connected with these young people. In my opinion, this method of dealing with the youth is a tragedy for the Azerbaijani authorities and for every Azerbaijani. Because these young people have always been truly developing the country. Even young people have a right to make mistakes. By incarcerating young people, these sentences show that the Azerbaijani regime fears the youth. The ruling party is attempting to silence the youth by using violent means; it wants to raise Pavlik Morozovs and it is raising them. But I think that the people moving Azerbaijan forward are exactly those young people in prison today. Cabbar Savalanlı, Bəxtiyar Hacıyev, Elnur Məcidli, Adnan Hacızadə, Emin Milli, and other young people incurring the wrath of the Azerbaijani regime are the future of our country. Actually, by dealing with these young people so mercilessly, the regime is digging its own grave. I want a regime change in Azerbaijan to occur without bloodshed or turmoil. But the regime, with this kind of approach, doesn’t give a chance to these same young people and to other disaffected groups. After all, those youths are human beings too. They were protesting to live in a free country, to not have to spend their lives in Russia sending money to their families, to not be considered second-class people in Azerbaijan. And for this they were thrown in prison. This is a real tragedy. If the young people taken to court thought they could change the government by taking a liberal line I think they have already changed their thinking. They could choose violence as the way out. Action and reaction are equal. Because of what happened this time the regime is going to once again bear the responsibility. This is my stance as a citizen.There are a large number of Xudayar lords of Danabaş village in the government

- As a jurist do you think there is a criminal content in the proceeding of the young people and party functionaries arrested on April 2?

- There is a good proverb: Who needs a guide to a mountain they already know?! These events occurred near my office. I also participated in each of these events. I did not see violence perpetrated by the participants in any of these actions. They were only shouting “Freedom.” What crime could they be talking about?! It simply seems to me that the authorities are trying to find a way out with this. But to get out of this situation they have gone a misguided route.

Today in the regime there are a great number of “Danabaş Xudayar lords.” In the past they were no one, today they talk about owning their positions. They know very well that it is possible to preserve the regime with these kind of violent methods. They don’t realize that, on the contrary, they are taking the regime to the brink with this path. It needs to be understood that the people will not be deterred from protesting by violent methods. The samovar has a small valve and when it is boiling we open this valve so that steam can get out otherwise it will burst. Today Azerbaijani society is also boiling. If society does not periodically conduct actions and its requests are not fulfilled, this could be the cause of a social explosion. After this many more young people will come out to demonstrations.

- There are thoughts that, the government by intensifying these repressive acts wants to strengthen fear and dread in society…

- The government does think like this. But the opposite is happening. I have read the speeches of the youth. In the socialist period there was a Bulgarian named Georgi Dimitreev. When he was being arrested he made a speech. Everyone in every Soviet country was listening to this speech and was saying, how openly he spoke. In my opinion, every one of the speeches of the youth arrested because of the April 2 protests is going to be as well known as Georgi Dimitreev’s speech. With their courageous speeches they removed the fear and dread in others. After this more young people are going to come out to the protests. The only thing that I regret is that there were few people protesting the courts. Society must pay serious attention to these courts, Azerbaijani youth must participate in this process. But unfortunately, young people today go the concerts of Röya and Faiq much more…